No wind blew over the Kingdom of Daughters.
"Elder Nyon, Elder Nyon… they're back!" A female guard wearing the kingdom's uniform hurried to the palace balcony.
"Hmm." Elder Nyon turned sharply, grabbing the guard's shoulders. "Where are they now?"
Gasping for breath, the guard pointed to the sky. "Up there."
Elder Nyon followed her gaze. Soon, a majestic roar echoed, accompanied by rumbling thunder.
Above the palace, a red streak flickered across the sky. In an instant, it halted directly above the palace.
"Roar!" Little Sky bellowed, shattering the divine power enveloping him, revealing his massive, awe-inspiring body suspended in the air.
His hundreds-of-meters-long body twisted through the sky, wings spread wide enough to block out the sun.
"Descend, Little Sky," Hunter commanded from atop the dragon.
Little Sky lowered his body with a low growl.
Hunter held Hancock's hands firmly as they descended, with her two sisters following closely behind.
Seeing the three Hancock sisters descend from Little Sky, Elder Nyon's eyes filled with tears. She rushed forward, grasping Hancock's hands, her voice trembling, "It's good that you're back."
Hunter could tell Elder Nyon's emotion was genuine, not an act. The Kingdom of Daughters was very different from other nations; the people there were united, without the political scheming common elsewhere.
"Elder Nyon," Hancock said, seeing the older woman's tear-filled eyes that shone like black pearls.
Hancock had thought she would never see Elder Nyon or anyone from the kingdom again. She understood fully what the Celestial Dragons represented in this world.
Initially, she had held onto hope, but as time passed, that hope waned. Every night aboard Tenjōkin's ship brought nightmares. But just when her remaining hope was nearly gone, Hunter appeared. He rescued them and even dared to oppose the Celestial Dragons for their sake.
"Thank you, Lord Hunter," Hancock said, turning with tears of gratitude streaming from her eyes, bowing deeply.
Hancock knew if not for Hunter, they would have fallen into a tiger's den.
Hunter wiped the tears from her face gently. "Alright, no more crying. Too much crying makes you less beautiful."
"Mm." Hancock wiped her tears hard and nodded firmly.
"That's better," Hunter smiled, then turned to Elder Nyon. "Elder Nyon, have them rest now. They must be tired."
"Yes." Elder Nyon nodded and instructed the guards, "Take them down and let them rest well."
"Yes, ma'am."
After the Hancock sisters were settled, Elder Nyon took a deep breath. "Thank you, Lord Hunter."
"No need for thanks. This was simply a transaction. Have you prepared the payment?" Hunter waved his hand.
He didn't care much about Elder Nyon's gratitude—it was a commissioned task, and verbal thanks were far less valuable than actual Devil Fruits.
"We're always ready." Elder Nyon brought a chest from the balcony table and handed it to Hunter.
Without even looking, Hunter tossed it onto Little Sky's back. Elder Nyon dared not deceive him.
Elder Nyon took a deep breath and asked, "Lord Hunter, do you have any plans next? If not, you can stay here for a while."
"Don't you usually forbid men from entering?" Hunter asked with a smile.
Elder Nyon smiled back. "Normally, yes. But Lord Hunter, you rescued the Hancock sisters, so naturally, you're an exception."
Elder Nyon knew well that although it seemed simple to bring the Hancock sisters back, it was far from easy. Rescuing them from Tenjōkin was effectively slapping the Celestial Dragons in the face. Only two types of people would dare: those with power to rely on, or the fearless.
From her initial observations, Elder Nyon suspected Hunter was the first type—but she didn't know he embodied both.
Hunter thought for a moment, then said, "Very well, I'll stay here for a while."
He had nowhere else to go, and Little Sky still carried treasures looted from Tenjōkin's fleet that needed a place to unload.
"Alright, I'll make the arrangements," Elder Nyon said, her face showing a hint of joy.
She had invited Hunter not only out of gratitude but also to align with him. Having a beast like Little Sky under his command was a strong deterrent.
"By the way, do you know where stolen goods can be sold?" Hunter asked.
Although he had taken a lot from Tenjōkin, he didn't yet know the black market in this world. Elder Nyon, as the queen, should be well aware of such channels.
"Sell the goods?" Elder Nyon looked puzzled, but then her expression shifted dramatically.
"You stole from Tenjōkin?" she asked in shock.
Hunter replied calmly, "Yes, just grabbed them on the way."
Elder Nyon couldn't help but chuckle. She had thought Hunter bold, but not this bold, and so calm.
But then she considered—rescuing the Hancock sisters was technically a theft too. So taking some extra items wasn't so different.
"If you want to convert these treasures, the first choice is the Sabaody Archipelago," Elder Nyon said without hesitation. "There's a mix of all kinds of people there. Anything can be sold, and no one asks about the source."
"I see. Then I'll make a trip to the Sabaody Archipelago soon," Hunter said, stroking his chin.
The loot from Tenjōkin was quite valuable. Converted into Berries, it could probably buy several Devil Fruits.